Out of the Shadows
by Heaven Sent Tenshi
Summary: Jack seems to have a new flunky on his team. Oddly, Master Fung also sees something in this girl that nobody expected. Will she stay with Jack for the sake of the money her dad needs, or will she go to the good side?
1. The Beginning

Out of the Shadows

By HeavenSentTenshi

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The day had begun as normal. Sauda was laying in her bed, enjoying the soft rays of the sun that streaked through her window and landed on her face, and listening to the soothing music of the song birds. She stared at the ceiling and watched the glow from the stars she'd put there when she was six, almost ten years earlier, fade in the sun washed morning. She sighed, content with how quiet and peaceful the morning was turning out to be….

Then a crash disrupted her thoughts; it sounded like glass. She sat up, her mind still hazy from the sleep that had yet to leave her mind. The crash was immediately followed by the slamming of a door and loud screaming. Sauda sighed again, this time in annoyance. She rubbed her temples as she slowly got out of bed and slipped a robe over her shoulders and her pajamas. She walked over to her bedroom door and went to open it; but when her hand had reached the knob, it swung open. Her mother was standing in the doorway, her face screwed up in anger, her hands cut and bleeding, and her hair messed up from over excessive movement.

Sauda stepped back and attempted to shut the door, but her mother kept it open.

"What did you tell your father?" she demanded, grabbing Sauda by the arm.

"About what?" Sauda asked in her defense, "I haven't told him anything! You're the one who's said it, I don't tell anyone about anything, remember? I keep all my feelings bottled up! Now let go of me!" Sauda removed her mother's hand from around her arm and attempted to shove her out of her room.

"You told him something! He thinks I've cheated on him! What did you tell him?"

"I told you, I didn't tell him anything! And why would Dad think you're cheating?"

"Well, it must've been something you told him!"

Sauda's face turned red in anger. She wasn't sure what her mother was talking about, but she was sure that she didn't want to be arguing this early in the morning.

"Lucine!" Sauda looked over her mother's shoulder to see her father standing behind her, his hand firmly gripping that shoulder. "What are you yelling at Sauda for? She has absolutely nothing to do with this!" When this was said, Sauda's father pulled her mother back out into the hallway and calmly closed her door.

Slowly, Sauda backed up and sat down on her bed, her hands shaking. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Nosing her face into her knees, she began to think that today wouldn't be like any normal day.

Through the closed door, Sauda could hear her parent's conversation. Her mother was screaming at the top of her lungs, while her father was trying to act as calm as possible.

"What did she tell you?" her mother screeched.

"She didn't tell me anything."

"Then why did you accuse me of cheating?"

"I didn't accuse you of cheating on me."

"Yes you did! You're lying to me!"

"No I'm not; I've never said anything like that."

"Don't accuse me of lying!"

"I haven't!" Sauda's father's voice rose for this moment, but he calmed it again. "Lucine, look…"

"Don't 'Lucine, look' me! You're cheating on me _and_ you're lying to my face!"

"When did this suddenly become _me_ cheating on _you_? And where are you getting all of this?"

"Getting all of this? You've been doing all of this for years, haven't you? Haven't you!"

"Lucine, I'm not cheating, and I'm not lying!"

"Yes you are!"

Her father sighed. "Alright… I'm done… I don't want to argue this anymore, especially when Sauda's room is right there…. Let's talk about this tomorrow when she's out of the house."

"No! No, we have to talk about this right here, right now! Just admit that you're cheating on me!"

"I can't admit to something that never happened!"

"Just tell me the truth!"

Suddenly, Sauda threw a large martial arts book, which looked more like a dictionary of four languages, at the door. "Stop it!" she yelled, stomping over to her door and throwing it open, "Stop it! Did it ever occur to you that you might be wrong, Mom?" she continued in her loud voice, "Did it? Did it ever occur to you that you might be the one whose accusations are false? Dad's not like that cheating jerk you married before! So don't accuse him of something he didn't do!"

Sauda didn't expect it; in fact, she kicked herself for not; but just then, her mother slapped her in the face. It was the first time she'd ever been slapped, and by her mother no less. She didn't know how to take it. Had it been a punch, which she had taken many times in her training, she may have known how to deal with it, but punches didn't sting like a slap did, it was very different.

Sauda stood there for several moments, silenced; her father doing the same. Her eyes were wide in disbelief. With the speed of a slug, her hand reached up and touched the red spot on her cheek. It was warm. She blinked several times as her eyesight focused on her fuming mother who didn't want to hear what she had to say.

"Did you just…?" she began as her mother continued to glare at her. Her father was flabbergasted to the point that he couldn't even speak. He just stood there, gaping at them. "You just… you just slapped me… didn't you?"

"I did, and I'll do it again if you interrupt us one more time." Sauda had never, in her fifteen years of life, seen her mother like this. It angered her. Her right hand, still down at her side, balled up into a fist. She'd never been slapped, but she knew that there were three things someone could do when they were punched; cry, ignore it, or punch back. She had the urge to punch back. But she didn't. She stood there, her hands shaking, as her father turned on her mother.

"Who do you think you are?" he yelled, "Who do you think gives you the right to slap your own little girl?"

"I do!" her mother spat, "I gave birth to her, I have the right to punish her how I see fit!"

"No… no you don't," Sauda hissed in a deadly tone. "No one ever has the right to hit another person…."

"How can you say that?" her mother asked, "You do it all the time."

"I don't just hit people for the sheer pleasure of it!" Sauda screamed, her vocal cords buzzing in pain, "I don't just hit them to teach them a lesson! I do it for self-defense, I do it to help them train, and to help train me!" When she was finished, and without noticing, Sauda shoved her mother back against the wall, her black-purple eyes alit with fury.

"Sauda, how dare you!" her mother shrieked, diving at her daughter. Sauda easily sidestepped it, sending her mother into her room. When her mother reemerged from the confines of the doorway, she lunged at her again, this time only to be tripped and sent into the opposite wall again.

"Don't try it, Mother, and I use the term lightly. Do you remember all those classes you paid for, or should I say, Dad paid for…? Well, I learned something from them… I learned how to fight, and I learned how to avoid one too." At this time, Sauda grabbed her mother by her arms and held her up a bit. "It's in your best interest to leave me be." And with that, she dropped her on the ground, her mother shaking and sobbing and muttering something about her being her only mother, how she brought her into this world, and something about how would she be able to do something like that to her. But Sauda just brushed it off as she returned to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Her father touched her mother's shoulder and received a swat and a "Leave me alone!" before returning to their bedroom. Sauda immediately headed for her bathroom, seeing that her robes now had blood stains on them from when her mother had grabbed her arm. She sighed; guessing that her mother had received the cuts on her hands when she'd thrown whatever it was that was made of glass and was shattered. Pulling off her robe and applying a sufficient amount of Spray and Wash on the stains, Sauda got ready for a shower. The thing she needed now, more than ever, was a hot shower to calm her nerves. She always found that the warmth always soothed her after another tiring fight with her mom.


	2. Divorces

Out of the Shadows

By HeavenSentTenshi

Chapter 2: Divorces

The sun had now begun to sink over the horizon. A warm glow washed Sauda's room in orange now as she sat on her bed. Her mind was completely blank; there wasn't one thought that could be found there. She stared at her opposite wall, her eyes empty of any emotion. The last thing she'd thought before going into this serene emptiness was "I was right… today wasn't going to be like any normal day…." The only thing that could be heard from her now was her soft breathing. She almost seemed to be in a meditative state.

Sauda's father, Lukas, was standing just beyond her door. He'd been waiting and listening, almost sure that she would start throwing something any time now. He slowly leaned against the wall. For some reason, or another, he knew that she was mad; why wouldn't she be? He closed his eyes. She would now have to grow up without a mother. He knew that Sauda was the only reason that he and Lucine had stayed together those miserable fifteen years he'd almost seemed to waste. He also knew that Lucine felt the same way; which was probably the reason she'd left.

Lukas knew that he had to talk to Sauda. Slowly, his hand reached up to the door knob and turned it. Carefully, he peeked his head inside. Looking to his right, he saw Sauda sitting on her bed, her legs and hands folded in what looked like a meditative pose. He wasn't sure whether he should interrupt her or not. Thinking on this, he began to close the door.

"What is it, Dad?" Sauda asked, her mouth being the only part of her body that had moved. Lukas stopped, looking back inside.

"So, you knew I was here?" he asked, a smile on his face. Sauda didn't move. Lukas wasn't sure whether to take this course of action as a good or bad thing; though he still walked into her room and sat down on the bed beside her. "Perhaps we should talk…?" he suggested.

Sauda's eyes moved slowly over to her father. "About… _her_?" she asked in a gruff tone.

"Yes, about your _mother_…" Lukas replied, attempting to get Sauda to at least call her that. Sauda's eyes moved back into their blank staring position.

"What if I don't want to talk about her…?" she snapped.

"Sauda… just, bear with me… we need to talk…." Sauda just sighed in annoyance, but nonetheless listened to what her father had to say. Lukas took a deep breath, "Alright, first off, I just want you to know that I love you, and so does your mother." Sauda's head snapped up at this.

"Don't start lying to me, Dad, that heartless wench never loved me and-" Lukas slipped his hand over his daughter's mouth.

"Do not say that. Your mother loves you; end of story. Just… listen, alright?" Sauda nodded. "Good. Now, you know that your mother and I never really got along, right?" He moved his hand and Sauda nodded again. "Ok. Well, when moms and dads decide that they've had enough…" Sauda's eyes narrowed.

"Dad… don't talk to me like I'm six, ok? I'm fifteen, I know what you're getting at, and I support you all the way. If a divorce is what you want, God knows it's what _I_ want, then just do it. I'm sure Lucine wants it, too."

"Don't call your mother by her first name, Sauda."

"Why? It's not like she's my mom anymore…" Sauda crossed her arms when she said this and looked back at the wall. "She's the one that ran out on us three hours ago."

"She's still your mother, though; she gave birth to you."

"As far as I'm concerned, the Stork brought me here…"

"Sauda…. Please, just… be reasonable…."

"She's the one who accused you of cheating and thought you said you accused her of it too, Dad. If she's not going to be reasonable, neither am I." Lukas sighed again. Sauda stood up at this. "Look, I've already given you permission to get a divorce, what else do you want?"

"For you to treat your mother like a human being who has half of your genes?"

"… Well, I guess that's never gonna to happen." At that, Sauda turned on her heel and left her own room, leaving her father to sit on her bed, pondering his next move. Sauda walked through the empty house and to the spacious backyard. She then retreated to her corner where her training supplies were kept, stored, and used. Pulling out one of her freestanding punching bags, she set it in the middle of the large black mat and promptly began to punch and kick it until her arms and legs were so sore that she could barely stand up any longer. When she had finished, she retreated to a lawn chair and watched the bag in the sheer darkness that consumed the rest of the backyard. She noticed that there were many rips and tears and places where the stuffing was falling out. She found this sort of odd, she had just bought it yesterday and it had been as good as new when she had pulled it out.


	3. Help Wanted

Out of the Shadows

By HeavenSentTenshi

Chapter 3: Help Wanted

The decision hit the family, of now two, harder than they had expected. Lucine had fought night and day for her former husband's property, even attempting to get Sauda in the process, but that was one thing Sauda would never agree to. Not only did she have one of the strongest wills that the judge had ever seen in a divorce case, but she had a decent lawyer to back her up. Lukas was growing nervous. He didn't know that she would have such fire power. Sauda, however, didn't think twice about it.

The entire time this divorce went on, Sauda paid little attention to it. She regarded it as something that was happening to make hers and her father's life much happier. To occupy herself, she volunteered at her Judo dojo, getting in a lot of extra practice time with the school's nice equipment.

Sauda had begun taking classes at this dojo when she was eight. Seven years had passed, and in that time she had improved amazingly well; that was, at least, the modest opinion of the masters there. When she had first arrived there, she was a small, fragile child with a low self-esteem. After much work in her classes, as well as private lessons set up by her master and parents, Sauda's strength, dexterity, speed, and confidence improved exponentially. Within five years Sauda worked until she reached the level of black belt.

Not only did she master most of what could be taught at her dojo, but she was slowly forming a unique style all her own. When she took her upper level classes, she learned as many techniques as she could remember. After having mastered one, she began to develop a rhythm for it, and soon strung it together with many other techniques to use with music. She would hone the transitions and then put her combination to the test. She would set up a CD player outside with her equipment or bring it with her to the dojo, then play the song best suiting her combination and see if she could use it; almost like a dance. This was how she kept her cool during training; she would focus on the beat and then use it against her opponent.

The way she would set up these combinations was different for each song she used and the situation she was in. If the situation called for something fast and dramatic, she would find an appropriate song, and set up the attacks and defenses accordingly. If she knew she would need to stay on her toes and keep up a defense, she would incorporate this into the combination. If she knew she would be able to throw attack after attack at her opponent, she would arrange it correspondingly. Everything depended on the opponent, the situation, and the song used for the amalgamation. At any given time of sparring, Sauda would start up an appropriate song in her head and "dance" to her music; this style, she was sure, was the reason she won so many different times.

Sauda had gained a name for herself while at the dojo. Her master recognized this and in an attempt to keep her from getting a big head, he trained with her harder than ever. He knew that if she worked harder, she would grow stronger, and soon become good enough to become a sixth-dan; high enough to leave the dojo if she wanted, or to work beside him. This was where her volunteering came in. Sauda often came to the dojo when she didn't have a class to help the younger (and older) kyu level pupils; she would even help by cleaning when classes were sparse, although, in her free time, she was often found training.

Meanwhile, Lukas was struggling with his pocket-book. He refused to allow Sauda to fully understand the problem, but money was becoming harder and harder to save. Lucine had been draining his bank account left and right as he was asked again and again to go back to court. It seemed like the barrage would never stop and the light at the end of the tunnel was backing slowly out of his grasp. Lukas was running low on options and cash.

Everything that Lucine had owned was taken immediately. The car, which had been in both of their names, was won by her in court. Lukas was afraid that the house would be repossessed, as well, but the judge had ruled with him, since Lucine hadn't contributed, from the evidence provided, to the purchase of it. Large sums of money were taken by Lucine and only a few days earlier had Lukas been granted child support. He knew that the money taken would eventually be paid back, but it would take some time.

To make things worse, Lukas had to devote quite a bit of time to the hearings, leaving his boss quite flustered. His job situation was terrible; nothing was really getting done. Soon, he received a notice through the mail that disturbed him; he was being demoted and his pay check would be slashed in half. When he heard of the news he stayed up all night trying to figure out a plan to get them back on their feet. But that wasn't his worse fear; he was now afraid that the judge would rule him unfit to keep Sauda. He knew that if Sauda were to be handed over to Lucine, Lucine might not live through it. Things were growing frustrating; he could only hope that everything would improve.

Lukas would soon be disappointed. Six months passed quickly for Sauda, who was nearly completely devoted to her training. After a month and a half, Sauda had stopped volunteering and stayed in the back rooms, working nonstop on her technique. For Lukas, however, the months were long and grueling. He had finally hit rock bottom now. He'd lost most of their valuable and invaluable objects and was about to announce bankruptcy, had he not been gaining the small income of child support. Even Sauda couldn't ignore what was going on now.

Sauda had considered taking on a job somewhere to help her father, but she had set up an arduous training schedule which took up most of her time. It took some time, but she finally convinced herself that she could train after her and her father's lives returned to normal. Though, finding a job proved difficult. She went to a few interviews, mostly for low-paying, easy jobs like waitressing at a few of the local restaurants, but nothing worked out too well. She was often late because of her classes at the dojo, and too tired to remember or pay attention to the customers. She was fired from every job she took. Frustrated, Sauda eventually gave up on the idea.

"That's the second job this month!" she complained as she plopped down upon the tatami floor before her master. He opened his right eye as he had been in meditation when she was allowed in.

"Another?" he asked, his black eyebrow raising.

"Yes…" Sauda sighed, before her eyes widened and she prostrated herself before him. "Gomen nasai, Sensei; I am quite flustered, I have forgotten my manners…."

"Do not trouble yourself," he said, placing a hand upon her shoulder as she rose again, "you are fine, don't worry; I understand your problems." He smiled.

"Thank you, Sensei…." Sauda took another deep breath as she fully straightened herself. "I just can't seem to hold down a job long enough to help my father…. Do you have any advice?"

"Well… do you know what the problem is?"

"It's my training… I think it's taking up too much of my time…. But I'm not about to give up… I've come too far to stop working on my technique…."

"I am happy to hear you say that… though it could lead to problems…. Perhaps you just need to keep searching for something that will not conflict with your training?"

"Perhaps…. I will keep searching, Sensei…"

"Do not give up; I am sure that you will be able to help your father." Sauda rose to her feet and bowed to her Sensei, thanking him, before turning and pulling open the door. "And Sauda, tell your father that I wish him my best." Sauda nodded in assent, thanked him one last time, and left his office.

She walked down the hall to the waiting room. She looked around at the overstuffed pillows on the floor and quiet tables beside them, each piled with a few magazines with which to pass the time. She sighed again as she took in the fragrances of the incenses burning in the prayer room not too far from where she stood. Upon the walls were a few wall scrolls and a bulletin board for the students. The board caught her attention. Nothing new had been pinned there in quite some time, but there was a small flyer pushed off to the bottom left corner that Sauda didn't recognize.

Intrigued, Sauda sauntered over to the bamboo-framed corkboard, reading the top line of the flyer. It read, "Need a Job?" Intrigued, her eyes scanned over the rest of the paper. It read as follows:

Need a Job?

Still want to continue to practice your martial art? And make some money while you're at it? Then this is the right place for you! People from all over the world place their Help Wanted ads on this one convenient website and job-seekers can browse with ease to find the job best suited for them! Come check us out!

Below this message were small tear-off tabs with the website printed on it. Sauda's heart beat twice as fast in enthusiasm as she snatched one of the tabs and stuffed it into her pocket. She raced toward the door, slipped her shoes on and ran as fast as she could to the local library. As she entered, she smiled sweetly to one of the librarians, said hello, and headed for the computers. She fell into one of the swivel chairs and hurriedly typed her username and password into the database, pulled up Internet Explorer, and entered the website.

As the page came up, she was nearly disappointed. There was a banner at the top that read "Please excuse the mess, we're still refining the site". Sauda's heart sank. Perhaps this wouldn't be as good as she had hoped.

A button caught her attention. "Jobs" it read. Sauda crossed her fingers and clicked the button. Another screen popped up, and at the top, it read "One (1) Job". She took a deep breath and clicked the link below it that read "Hired Muscle Needed". A description of the job came up. It read:

"Hired Muscle Needed

In search of valuable objects, will need accompaniment. Traveling is assured. The better your fighting skills, the easier this will be. Will need to be prepared to take on multiple opponents, though you may not always be alone.

Main Location: China"

Below, a phone number and address were displayed, as well as the name of the employer. Sauda thought long and hard on this for a moment. China was a whole ocean away, if she did take the job, she'd barely be able to see her father. Then again, this seemed to be the only chance she had. She stared at the screen for the longest time. Finally, she pushed the mouse to the top of the window and clicked the print button. She rose from her chair and walked to the large printer that stood in the corner of the library. She removed the papers and looked down at them.

"I suppose I should thank you… Jack Spicer."

&&&&&

Words:

Dan: used to describe an upper level in Judo (a "master" level)

Kyu: used to describe a lower level in Judo (a "student" level)


	4. The Answer and the Job

Out of the Shadows

By HeavenSentTenshi

Chapter 4: The Answer and the Job

Jack slumped in his chair as he listened with glassy eyes to the man before him. How many times could one subject themselves to this sort of torture? At least once more, he supposed. The hours ticked by with the sluggishness of a tortoise; he had had to have been sitting in the same position for at least half of the last hour, and his backside was beginning to ache. Wuya was becoming irritable; she had left the room not ten minutes before, complaining of a headache, to which Jack questioned the possibility of a ghost receiving a headache when she didn't have any physical features at all.

As the man finished counting off the last ten jobs he had had as a body guard and several other forms of protective enlistment, Jack was slowly brought back to reality. He blinked several times, yawned, and then asked, "Are you done?" in a very sincere manner. He received a nod to the affirmative and was handed a sheet of paper listing what Jack had drown out for the last five minutes; it was a resume. Jack half-frowned at it and set it on the table.

"That's all well and good, but, uh, I'm not quite sure you'd stand up to the type of work I've got in mind." Never once did the man say anything about actually _fighting_ anyone since he'd been employed. The man hung his head, muttered something indistinguishable, then sulked off, and up the stairs. As he had done so, Jack's face met with the metal table in front of him with a loud "thud". He moaned as the light above him flickered several times.

"Well?" came a harsh voice from behind Jack. His head snapped up as he squeaked in fright.

"Don't sneak up on me, Wuya!" he shouted as he whipped around. Unfortunately for him, Wuya was close enough that his face had passed through her body. He shuddered and groped at his skin; it tingled in great severity. "And don't get so close!" he finished, turning back to the table.

"It isn't my fault that you haven't heightened your senses enough to know where I am." Wuya floated out in front of Jack and started toward the staircase. As she did, Jack glanced at the stack of resumes beside him. He sighed and swiped them off of the table and into the garbage can beneath the table. "Remind me why we're doing this," Wuya muttered, her eyes gliding back to see the teen.

"Because I deserve a vacation. Besides, all my Jackbots need repaired, and that by itself would take a while. If I get someone else to do all my dirty work, I-"

"Have the chance to be lazy?" Wuya muttered.

"No! I get to rest my creative mind, and enough time to repair all my robots!" Jack proceeded in sticking out his tongue at Wuya in an attempt to prove to her that he had everything handled and that she was mistaken. Her eyes merely narrowed as she looked away from the stupidity that emanated from him.

"And what makes you think that this time will be any different from all of the other attempts you've wasted trying to employ someone? Every time you do this, they always turn on us."

"So do you…" Jack muttered, as he crossed his arms over his chest and slumped down in his chair again.

"What was that?" Wuya hissed, spinning around.

"Nothing, nothing… I didn't say anything…."

"No, not you, you fool… I heard something…" Her eyes traveled upward as a footstep echoed from the above floor. Another followed, and the lamp above Jack flickered several more times, this time, going out. Jack shrieked as the lab was engulfed in darkness.

The door leading upstairs creaked open as Jack drew in a sharp breath. Standing in the doorway was the dark silhouette of a girl.

"Jack Spicer?" she asked. Her voice was haunting; it resembled that of a mystic's.

"Uh-huh…" Jack squeaked from under the table. He dove under there as soon as the door had opened. The figured sighed in joyful finality. The lights flickered once more and chased the darkness away. Red hair slowly emerged from the edge of the table, followed by the pale face of Jack. His crimson eyes rested upon a young woman standing at 5'6" with black hair. Her hair was mostly above her shoulders, excluding the long braid on her left that reached to the middle of her chest. Different colored beads held the braid together; a large red bead pulled the hair on her right to the proximity of her ear. Her eyes were hidden in shadow; her nose and mouth were behind a black bandanna; not one shred of her face was visible.

Her outfit was intricate. Around her neck sat a black choker embedded with diamond-shaped, silver studs. A ring stuck out from the middle, which was surrounded by small circular studs of the same metal, and hanging from the chain attached to the ring, a metal heart with tiny clear diamonds in the shape of an "S". She wore a crimson dress that was torn at the bottoms and cut to show off most of her stomach. Each side had an original slit that extended high up her thigh, creating two flaps, one in front and one in back. The front flap was torn to above her knees, the back torn to above her ankles.

The top portion of the dress would be a bit revealing, though she had taken care of that. There was a ring below her collar bone; attached to it were the thin red straps that held the dress up; they disappeared over the outermost edges of her shoulders. Beneath the ring, the straps headed for the sides of her chest and disappeared under a large black sash that covered anything revealing. An identical, though longer, sash was tied around her waist into a large bow in the back; the ends were torn as well. She wore a pair of black, skin tight pants, which vanished into the black, ankle high boots she wore. Small belts were wrapped around her ankles and around the base of her boots. To top it all off, she also adorned a pair of fingerless gloves; fingerless because she had torn them accordingly. The base of each glove had in it two rips. The uppermost rip of each glove was pinned together with a safety pin.

The stale aroma of salt lingered in the air as she creaked down the steps. There was a slightly tired atmosphere about her as well. Jack watched her in silence as she approached the table. There was a small movement from beneath the bandana on her face just before she brought herself to speak again in that same quiet tone.

"You're running an interview of sorts, correct?" Jack nodded. "Good, then I haven't wasted my time."

Jack thought a moment. "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

The girl made a waving motion with her hand as she raised it. "Never mind…" She then tilted her head and spotted the chair beside her. She lowered herself into it and leaned back. "So… what is it that you wanted to know?"

Jack shook his head a moment in an attempt to remember what all he had planned to say to each interviewee. His eyes traveled down to the sheet of paper before him; his cheat sheet of sorts. "Uh, oh yeah… ok… so, what makes you think that you'll be able to work for me?"

"From what I saw on that website," she leaned back a bit further to eye him without his knowing, "there isn't much that'll be required; merely a fighting skill of sorts, and the ability to travel. You said something about taking on multiple opponents, and I'll be ready for that. And, also, I'm here and ready to work."

"Ok, so what kind of work have you done before?"

"Well, nothing of this sort… just odd jobs; mostly waitressing… but I got fired from those…. The way I think of it, if I can't do that, I'm better off here."

"So, no fighting experience?"

"I never said that." She leaned forward and propped herself up on her elbows which she dug into her knees. "You may rest assured that I can indeed fight… and fight well."

Jack's head pulled back a bit, surprised on account of her answer and the action she had taken to emphasize it. He found it difficult to deliver a sound answer and was therefore caught murmur something indistinct. The girl frowned beneath her bandana and raised a shadowed eyebrow. After a moment of composure, Jack found his words. "Uh, do you have any kinda proof?" The girl nodded, rising from the chair.

Her back was to Jack as she stood before him now. She closed her eyes and allowed the darkness to envelope her as she prepared a song which could show what she was able to do. As soon as Wuya noticed that she had turned, she carefully positioned herself so that she would be able to watch and keep from being seen. When the girl first arrived, and the lights went out, she made sure she was hidden from view; Wuya knew that the sight of a ghost often frightens a person unaccustomed to it.

It was almost entertaining, the demonstration. Jack watched in growing enthusiasm. If he was lucky enough, he would finally have that secret weapon he'd always needed; finally, he would have behind him the power and strength enough to collect all the Shen Gong Wu; finally, his dreams of ruling the world would come true. With each perfectly executed movement, his excitement mounted. Finally, with a brilliant spinning leap, a sweep of her hand and a dip of her abdomen, she landed in an almost bow-like stance, her head lowered and arm outstretched.

Jack summoned up all of his strength to keep from crying out in delight. He was barely able to keep his cool as she raised her head. Once more, audible words were hard to come by. He cleared his throat behind his hand, pushed his hair back and resettled himself.

"Well, that was…" he cleared his throat once more, "good," he finished in a high pitched squeak. He took a deep breath afterward and cleared his throat for a third time. Wuya recognized his behavior; he was a terrible liar, which explained the flawed dismount, and he didn't want this girl to know he was truly interested in her; he had pulled this stunt with Tubbimura, and with decent results. Wuya listened carefully to observe whether Jack would screw this one up or not.

The girl rose from her position and straightened herself. "Thank you," was all that she uttered.

"So… urm… what's your name?" Jack asked in an inquisitive voice.

"Sauda… I believe that is all you should require to know."

Jack paused for a moment. She spoke in odd riddles, ones that he wasn't sure were meant to trick him or not. And there was an oddly over-confident air to her as well. Suddenly, he wondered whether she too would turn disobedient, join forces with Wuya, and leave him scrounging around for Shen Gong Wu behind them if he agreed to take her on as a hired hand. But then, he suddenly saw her head tip down and all thoughts vanished. She had her head bowed to him, slightly, but still bowed… she was waiting for him to say something. He took another deep breath.

"Alright… uh… I guess if you leave your name and phone number here, I'll get back to when I make a decision…" He most definitely didn't sound as interested as he truly was. He'd done it again. Wuya smirked. Perhaps they would receive free service this time as well.

To their surprise, though, Sauda's head rose in a sharp snap; neither Jack nor Wuya could tell, but her eyes had grown in size a bit. "That's all?" she asked in horror. She'd crossed an entire ocean to be hired and now she was already getting the cold shoulder. She feared this was his way of telling her that she wasn't good enough. Her stomach did a somersault and her heart plummeted. "That… that's it?"

Jack was taken aback. Had she believed him? Was she that thick? "Yeah… just leave-" Sauda's head lowered.

"Damn," she muttered, turning around. She was so flustered by his words, so eager to hear him say "You're hired!" that she hadn't seen straight through his lies. Had she not been so preoccupied, she would have stood there, smirking evilly at him and messed with his mind; but she hadn't caught it. Instead, she began a shameful walk to the stairs, her frustration threatening to spill over her eyelids.

Jack's eyes widened this time. "Wait!" he cried out, "Where are you going!" Desperation began to slowly leak into his words; but once more, Sauda was too engrossed in her own perturbed thoughts to hear it. She stopped where she stood, one foot on the bottom step of the stairs, her hand already on the railing. She turned her head to see him, standing up out of his chair, his hands on the table, his anxiety emanating from his stance. She was confused, though only for a few moments.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her tone now becoming sharper. She had just now realized his feint.

"…What about that contact number?" Jack replied weakly, slowly melting into his chair. He knew she knew. He swallowed with difficulty as Wuya slapped her forehead and pulled her face down as her hand went along.

"You know," Sauda began, resting her left hip against the rail, "good things only come to those who deserve it." And she left it at that; a riddle the likes of which Jack might or might not solve. She hoped he could before she reached the top of the staircase; she began climbing and allowed Jack to think. When it finally dawned on him, he leapt to his feet again, rushing to the bottom step.

"Ok, so maybe I… _deceived_ you… but that doesn't mean you have to leave, does it?" Jack crossed his fingers.

"Maybe? You think that you _may_ have _deceived_ me? I believe that you _tried_, though ended up falling flat on your face. The only question left for me to ask is this; should I go home?"

"No! No, you shouldn't! You should stay and I should hire you!" Wuya face faulted.

"You failed to pull through, Jack…" she hissed, floating out from behind the large metallic object she had shielded herself with.

Sauda wasn't sure at this point over what she should be more surprised; the sight of a purple ghost or Jack's outburst. She stood at the top of the stairwell, watching, waiting, confused and shocked. Her hand shot out and gripped the rail as her knees grew overwhelmingly weak. Finally, after a long, uncomfortable pause, Sauda opened her mouth.

"What… what is that…?" She lifted her left hand and pointed to Wuya. Jack looked back and realized what exactly was going on.

"I am not a 'what'…" Wuya growled. Sauda's head dropped in a half nod. She then took a deep breath and stepped back.

"Alright… alright… then… uh…" Words decided to become difficult. Thousands of thoughts swirled in her head, confusing her for the moment. It was bad enough to the point that she didn't notice Wuya speak to Jack. Soon, something else hit her, something she had forgotten for that small amount of time. She interrupted Jack mid-sentence, "You… said that you'd… hire me?" she asked timidly. Her mind was still swirling, though she was able to form this one sentence. Images of huge waves and the crashing of rain drops washed over her eyes as Jack answered her.

"I… uh…" Jack paused. "Did I say that?"

"Yes, you imbecile!" Wuya cried out in frustration. Suddenly, the waves dissipated and the lab became clear. The black figure of Jack and the purple one of Wuya came into view. Along with the clarity came her confidence. Slowly, she felt herself bend down into another bow.

"If you do wish to hire me, tell me now. If you do, you will _not_ regret it; I swear that to you." She raised her head a bit, and purple flashed through the dark shadows and disappeared once more.

Jack nodded, a smirk breaking his lips. "I hope I don't." Sauda climbed back down the stairs and Jack held out his hand. Sauda took it, and the contract began.


	5. Looking Back or Looking Forward?

Out of the Shadows

Chapter 5: Looking Back or Looking Forward?

By HeavenSentTenshi

She lay in the dark, staring at the black ceiling. The warm blankets were pulled up to her chest, her arms crossed over them, rising and falling as she breathed. Visions of her trip to Spicer's house drifted over her eyes.

Huge waves threatened to crash over the boat as she stood silently in the cabin. The CB radio crackled and spoke in indistinct blurbs. After a while, the captain merely shut it off. The small boat teetered over waves and moaned loudly every other second. The wizened man beside her reassured her that he'd faced waves thrice as high as these, though his expression wasn't showing near enough courage. Sauda merely stood there, rocking with the boat and staring into the water. Sweat dripped down her neck, the only sign of her uneasiness. Rain crashed down upon the windows, casing a veil to hang around them, worsening the captain's sight. Sauda closed her eyes and reopened them just as a wall of water rose ominously above them. The old captain screamed and white-knuckled the wheel as Sauda's eyes widened and took a half a step backward.

"No…" she breathed. Visions of her family flashed before her eyes as the wave broke upon the boat. She was almost sure she wasn't going to survive, especially when sirens began to wail and ring, signaling to the captain that sinking may be inevitable.

The radio was switched on again as the man screamed into the microphone. "Mayday, mayday! This is the Little Blue; we're caught in the storm two-hundred and fifty miles due west of Portland, the threat of capsizing could be possible! Over!" White noise took over and accompanied the sirens, bells, and the moaning of the ship. Moments ticked by as time seemed to slow down. Now, all that Sauda could focus on was the small radio, their only chance of survival.

We can't die here; Sauda thought fiercely; _I_ can't die here! Not like this, I can't go without a fight!

Sauda's head whipped around. On a hook not two feet from her, hung a long rope. She snatched it up and headed for the door behind her.

"Where're you goin'!" The captain shouted after her, the roar of the wind nearly drowning him out, "Are you crazy!"

"Yes!" Sauda replied, slamming the door shut. She raced to the best of her ability down the steps behind the cabin and worked her way toward the bow of the boat. Meanwhile, in the cabin, the CB radio crackled to life. "I read you, Little Blue. You say you're two-hundred, fifty miles due west of Portland, Oregon? Over."

The captain fumbled with the microphone for a moment, barely able to press the button on the side, his hand was shaking so badly. "Affirmative; are you near enough? Over."

"No." His heart sank. "But I know of a Coast Guard helicopter that is; I'll send him to your location, over."

"Yes, thank you!" He drew in a deep breath. As he exhaled, he murmured, "Over 'n out," released the button, and laid the microphone upon the surface in front of him as he leaned on it.

Meanwhile, Sauda threw the rope around the rail at the edge of the boat. Her hands were numb from the icy rain, but she still managed to tie the rope around her and boat. She held tight to the rail and faced the towers of water. She stared Mother Nature down, her brow glistening with a mixture of nervous sweat, Pacific Ocean, and freezing droplets of rain. Her face had grown numb and red, her throat stung with each gasp of air she took.

"I will overcome this," she breathed, "I won't die here! I refuse! I won't let my father down!" She gripped tighter to the rail just as the ship pitched. In the blink of an eye, Sauda's hand had left the rail, slipping down to the other side of the boat. She was plunging down toward the angry mass of water, the swirling monster that howled, growled, and threatened to swallow her whole.

Her hand groped for the rail as her life flashed before her for the second time. A pain shot through her chest and stomach; it felt as it someone had reached inside her and gripped tightly to her intestines. She knew what it was; it was fear; a fear great and terrifying, one she'd never experienced anything the like of before; a fear of death.

Water washed over her, waking her up to reality. As she spat out a great mouthful of salt water, she realized that she had stopped falling. Upon inspection, Sauda noticed that her hand was wrapped in the rope she had tied around her waist. She hung above the undulating water, which licked at her feet and washed above her at times. The water had caused the rope to become slick, the small protrusions and threads shredded her hands, though she couldn't feel it, her hands were still too numb. Another wave crashed over her and she slipped, her hand leaving the rope. Her heart was in her throat, her eyes went out of focus and her stomach somersaulted. The next thing she knew, she had stopped falling again; the rope had caught around her waist, and began a process of pain that would later lead to a red ring around her midline.

She let her arms hang limp at her sides as she leaned her head against the rope and closed her stinging eyes. What if she slipped out of the rope? What if the rope untied from the rail? Would she drown? Or would she die of hypothermia first? Would anyone come to her aid?

"Hey! Girl! Are ya still alive!"

Sauda's eyes snapped open and her head shot up; standing above her was the captain, dressed in a yellow survival suit. Her heart shot instantly into her throat in exhilaration. She regained her grip on the rope as the man clutched it as well. Slowly, he began to inch her up the side of the ship, though as she was about to grab hold of the side and hoist herself up the rest of the way, the ship pitched again. The captain was thrown back and Sauda fell once more. She spun around and slammed her head against the hull as the water raised high enough to push the captain backward and nearly fall as he attempted to gain his footing again. As the water receded, Sauda sputtered and gasped for air. Her hair was heavy; her clothing clung helplessly to her and threatened to drag her further toward the water. She could have sworn she had just swallowed half of the ocean. The rain continued to pound ruthlessly down upon her. It and the ocean ran into her eyes, nearly blinding her.

That was when she felt it. She was nearly dried off by the great amount of wind that pressed her up against the boat and caused the water to flee in fright. Her weak and paining head lifted to present to her the most amount of relief she had experienced all day. Pounding against the rain with the sound of a giant heart were the blades of a helicopter. The red bird hovered just above the boat; three men leaned out the side, two of them held a basket that was connected to a pulley above the opening.

The basket was tossed from the helicopter and onto the deck of the ship. The captain leaned over the side of the boat and attempted to raise Sauda up to the deck as well. She thrashed until the man let go. Confused, he looked down at her. Sauda pointed from the captain to the basket.

"You first!" she yelled, "You can help them get me from up there!"

"No," he replied, "Haven't ya hearda 'the captain goes down with his ship'? It's either you first, or I ain't goin'!" Sauda hung there, watching the old man. "Besides, women and children first!"

Sauda frowned.

"You're referring to woman, I hope…" she muttered as the captain raced to catch the fleeting basket; he then threw it overboard. The Coast Guards lowered it until it was in front of Sauda. She grabbed hold of it and attempted to hoist herself into it, but was denied access by the rope that was now around her chest. She climbed in half-way and was hanging out of the basket, supported by the rope and her dying strength. As she hooked her arm around then the bar that supported the basket, she began to untie the rope. When she was freed, yet another wave crashed over her, this one strong enough to sweep her out of the basket, away from the rope, and into the depths of the ocean. As she was pulled away, her head slammed against the bars of the basket. Everything went black; she didn't even feel the icy plunge into the Pacific.

Sauda sat straight up in her bed, gasping for air. The bitter taste of salt lingered on her tongue, the sting of it in her nose. Sweat glistened from her forehead and neck as her chest heaved in and out. She leaned forward and rested her weight upon her palms which sunk into the mattress of the cot she slept on. Jack had retrieved the cot from a storage room in the house for her to use. One solitary blanket lay across her lap, the other two in a heap upon the floor. She lifted her eyes and stared at the curtain beside her; the dark red fabric separated her from the rest of the lab. Memories of the rest of the trip flickered in her mind.

She remembered waking up a few hours later, laying on a couch in a small white room. Beside her, tucked into the wall, was a porthole. Judging by the fact that the room swayed back and forth and by what she saw outside the window, Sauda guessed that she was on a ship. She would later find out that she was correct. She had been pulled from the clutches of the water and brought to a Coast Guard ship headed for the mainland. The captain was just fine, though his boat had not survived the storm. Not two minutes after they had all gathered in the helicopter and CPR preformed on Sauda, the boat rolled and disappeared down into Davy Jones' Locker. After traveling for another hour, Sauda was able to convince another captain to take her across the ocean; this captain was of a large cargo ship bound for China. Nearly three days later, they docked in Shanghai, and she was able to begin the task of locating Jack Spicer's house.

The slam of a door above her awoke Sauda to reality once more. She blinked several times and slid her legs over the edge of the cot. It creaked softly and Sauda twitched. She was still trying to get over hearing that noise; it reminded her of the moaning boat. Slowly, she rose and pulled the curtain back. The lab was quiet and dark. Nothing stirred, not even the Jackbots that Spicer had introduced her to the day before. Barefooted and still in her pajamas, Sauda padded across the floor toward the one light in the room, the one just above the staircase leading to the first floor. Jack had left it on the night before so that Sauda would be able to see. As she reached the foot of the stairs, she looked up and stared at the door. She heard footsteps above her; it was either Mr. Spicer, his wife, or Jack himself, she couldn't tell. She learned, though, when the door opened, that it was indeed Jack.

The light glared down upon Sauda, pooling upon the ground, and silhouetting Jack at the top. As this happened, she spun round, disappearing into the shadows and retreating to her corner. Jack could have sworn he had heard her hiss, though, in reality, it was the heat kicking in. He shuttered where he stood; that had been a bit creepy.

Sauda swept around to the other side of her curtain and began to dress herself. "Do you need something?" she called as she slipped out of her pajama bottoms.

"Ur… uh, well… not really…" Jack thought for a moment. "Y'know, this isn't your space, all your own."

"I realize that." Sauda hurriedly pulled her black pants on under her dress and groped around in the darkness for her choker. As she found it, Jack flipped the light switch to the 'on' position. Light flooded most of the lab; there was a fixture above Sauda, and she became aware that in that position, Jack would be able to see through the curtain. She frowned, wishing with all her strength that it wasn't there.

Jack began to advance down the stairs, and just as he did, he noticed the room darken a bit. The light from Sauda's corner had gone out. "Hey, don't touch the lights!"

Sauda was staring at the fixture, confused. "I didn't. Perhaps the bulb burnt out?"

"No way, I just replaced that one."

"Three weeks ago…" drawled the annoyed voice of Wuya. She swept into the room via the wall beside Jack. He flinched, noticed that it was just her and then started toward the metallic table he had been sitting behind the day before.

"It wasn't three weeks ago," he muttered, "Besides, three weeks isn't long for a light bulb."

"He's right," Sauda pulled the curtain back, and began to tighten the handkerchief around her face. Jack watched her for a moment as she approached them; his eyes were drawn to the bandanna.

"I never did ask you about that." He pointed to the black fabric. Sauda looked down at her mask.

"About this?" She pulled at it, "What about it?"

"Why do you wear it?"

"Privacy issues…" and she left it at that. "I would appreciate it if you didn't question my attire, thank you." Once more that irritating arrogance began to seep into her speech. "Now, to business… we never did discuss payment…" Sauda folded her arms over her chest as Jack sat down.

"Hm, you're right…" he muttered, placing his forefinger on his cheek and his thumb under his chin. "Wait a second… didn't I already give you a figure?"

"Yes, however, we never discussed the _method_ of payment."

"I was just planning on giving you a check…"

"Oh, but you see," Sauda held up a figure, "I am not the one whom you should pay directly."

"What?" Jack screwed up his face in confusion; again with the riddles.

"I want you to send the check to my father, in the US." Sauda retreated to her dark corner and began to sift through the bag she had brought with her.

"What? Why?"

"Because I don't need it, and that's all you need to know. We discussed perks, correct?" Sauda continued to search in her bag as she said this.

"Yeah; food, board and medical, all taken outta your paycheck."

"And that is how I shall survive while my father receives the check. I have it all planned out… Aha!" Sauda returned a moment later carrying a slip of paper that had a P. O. Box address scribbled on it. She handed it to Jack. "This is where I want you to send it. I'll notify my father so that he knows to convert it to US dollars when it gets there."

"But, what about you, aren't you gonna want it?"

"No, I told you, I have no need for it, my father does. I also told you that that is all you need to know." Jack decided to give up and sighed, staring at the address.

This girl, Sauda, was very odd. All he knew about her was her first name, if that was even her real name at all, and that she knew martial arts. He didn't know anything else about her. She had gone so far as covering and shadowing her face to keep him from knowing anything; she had a post office box set up, and kept her last name a mystery to him. She either had something nasty to hide, or was too afraid of letting anyone know what she was doing or whom she was working for. Suddenly, Jack began to question her motives; why was she working for him?

Wuya floated several feet way from Sauda, who suddenly remembered that she had yet to eat and headed toward the refrigerator that Jack had instructed her to eat from. Wuya's arms were crossed, and her thoughts were scarily identical to Jack's. She flittered over to him and whispered into his ear: "I am not partial her attitude… it is almost as if she wishes to hide something, and that she knows all too well that we have yet to figure it out…. She is far too conceited for my taste…. I believe that perhaps your choice in hiring her was quite _rash_."

"I know she's kinda… weird… but if she can get us Shen Gong Wu, it'll be worth it. Just trust me on this one, Wuya… we just have to wait." Sauda retreated to her corner once more with her breakfast and hid behind the cover of her curtain. She sat upon the cot, untied her mask, laid it on the blanket beside her and began to eat her meal of water and a few biscuits she had found. She didn't want to be too much of a burden this early; she had no idea how much of an encumbrance she already was.

"Well," Wuya continued, "she had better help us find them, then, shouldn't she?"

"She said she would. Besides, that's what I pay her to do."

"And you explained to her the extent of this… responsibility, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, she knows about all of it, it was after you left; remember, she was still kinda jumpy around you, and-?"

"Yes, I remember," Wuya snapped. She sighed and floated off.

"Hey, where're you goin'?" Jack inquired.

"Away from your stupidity…" she grumbled, barely audible. Jack, of course, didn't hear it. He shrugged and decided to have a snack. As he opened the refrigerator, he noticed that, though Sauda had rummaged through it, nothing seemed to be missing. He frowned and grabbed a chocolate pudding cup and began to snack on it as he returned to the table. He propped his feet up on the surface and relaxed a bit. His mind needed a rest. The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the silence and sent Jack off-balance, causing him to end up on the floor with a loud thud, accompanied by his shriek of terror.

"I hope I didn't frighten you…" Sauda muttered, walking over and helping Jack to his feet.

"Frighten me? No way…." Jack dusted himself off as he laughed very nervously. His eyes traveled over to where his pudding cup lay on the floor; it was ruined, pudding was strewn from where his hand had once been to where the cup now lay. Jack whimpered for the loss of his pudding, and then ordered the last of his Jackbots that still worked to clean up the mess. Sauda stood behind Jack in silence as he made the order. She cleared her throat again. Jack turned his head. "What?"

"Would it be alright for me to go outside? You said something about not wishing for your parents to know that I'm here…."

"Outside? For what?"

"I need to train; it's been a while."

Jack thought for a minute. He wasn't sure that his parents would be willing to allow Sauda to stay in the house, nor in his lab. Though, he quickly learned that Sauda had no money, had no place to stay, and couldn't go home, as she lived an entire ocean away, in the United States. He had had no choice but to conceal her presence and allow her to stay in the dark of the basement. Going outside could possibly compromise everything he had set up, but she couldn't stay there forever, she would, after all, need fresh air.

"There might be a place you can go where my parents probably wont see you… it's off to the side, sorta away from everything. There's a pool with a waterfall back there, too."

Jack then proceeded in showing her a safe route there. Water washed down off of the rock formation, into a pool that contained several stones poking out of the surface. There was a large lawn all around, enclosed by a high, brick fence with barbed wire at the top. "Will this work?" Jack asked as Sauda set her CD player on the ground.

"Yeah, this is perfect," she muttered, switching the musical device on and placing a CD in it. Jack made to leave, but stopped by the pool and decided to watch. When Sauda noticed this, she looked his way, contemplating on whether or not to ask him to leave. She decided it best to leave him be. As the music tumbled from the speakers, Jack asked why she used music.

It took Sauda several minutes to explain her technique of combining music with attacks and defenses to throw her opponent off.

"Ok, but how would it confuse them?"

"Because by that time, I already know what my next thirty attacks are, and they haven't got a clue what to expect, how to defend against it, or how to catch me off guard, unless they somehow knew what song I was using… perhaps then _I_ would be the one off guard…"

"How?"

"They would know what style I was using, fast or slow; they would know when I would pause, and when I would execute something large. I, at the time, probably wouldn't have figured out that that they knew. Of course, if I did learn, I would simply stop and begin a new song. Then, my opponent would have to try to figure out what I was dancing to next."

"Seems pretty confusing to me…"

"Oh, but Jack, that's the point." Sauda smiled beneath her mask, and Jack could clearly see it. "I designed it to throw my opponent off and gain the upper hand, even in situations where I'd probably lose."

Jack smirked. "Sounds pretty underhanded to me."

Sauda paused a moment. "Does it?" she asked, confused. She always thought it was brilliant, and apparently, so had her master, though she'd never quite explained what she was doing for him.

"Yeah; it's like playing with your opponent's mind. Very evil, I like your thinking."

"I… suppose you're right…" Sauda looked away, down at her CD player. She had never turned it off, and it was in the middle of a very slow, dark and heavy song. "But, it still gets the job done."

Jack noticed that every once in a while, Sauda's eloquent speech would fade from her words, especially when she was thinking very deeply. This was one of those times. He watched her for several minutes as a slower, sadder song filled the silence between them.

Suddenly, Sauda looked up. "I suppose we've spent too much time talking… I really should get on with my training." She rose from her sitting position on the ground and changed the music to a more upbeat and fast-paced song. She took her beginning position, and then sprung into action. When Jack had seen her perform for him before, he hadn't had the pleasure of the attendance of the accompanying music as well; this only added to the delightful effect. Every once in a while, the moves wouldn't be executed perfectly, but Jack soon learned that she had yet to polish this routine. He still couldn't help but be impressed. As she finished, he smirked and rubbed his hands together.

"This'll work out… it'll all be perfect." He grinned as Sauda shut the CD player off.

"Alright, I think the music is getting to your head…" she muttered, sitting down on one of the rocks in the pool. "Is this safe to drink?" she asked, dipping her hand down into the cooling liquid.

"Er… I wouldn't if I were you," Jack answered apprehensively. The thoughts of the Cyclopes bathing there nearly sickened him.

"That's fine…." She then positioned herself so that a fine mist from the falling water cooled her off. Silence followed. The soft roar of the water drowned out all other sounds. The cold droplets surrounded her, the sound deafened her, the darkness of her now closed eyes consumed her. And suddenly, she was back on the Little Blue. The smell of salt, the freezing numbness, the painful red ring around her waist, the even more so painful slam to the head, it all came back.

Sauda shot forward in a panic-stricken state. She kneeled in the soft, warm grass, her hand to her chest; she breathed in deep gasps. Her eyes and nose stung again from the salt. She almost felt nauseated.

Jack was thoroughly shocked and confused, to say the least. One second, she was sitting on the rock, enjoying a fine mist from the waterfall, the next she had flown forward and fallen to the ground, breathing at the same rate as an athlete who had just run eighteen miles, as frightened as a child in a haunted house on Halloween.

"Uh, Sauda?" he asked apprehensively after a long pause. She took a gulp of air and muttered:

"I'm fine… just a… a bad-"

A loud moan interrupted her mid-sentence, followed by a low, strangled scream. "Jack!" the voice cried, "Jack, where are you!" It became evidently clear that it was Wuya, especially when she flew through a wall of the house nearest them, headed straight for the afore mentioned evil boy genius. "It's been activated! Another Shen Gong Wu!"


End file.
